Bridge To Nowhere
by poetess1
Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Bridge to Nowhere

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver (maybe minor Lois/Oliver later)

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Chloe stepped out onto the busy Metropolis sidewalk. With a heavy head she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply taking in the distinct smells of the city all around; the whiff of stale bread from the hot dog stand, the exhaust fumes from passing taxis, the dirt and pollution rising from the well trodden concrete. After what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a minute or two, she opened her eyes and stared straight up into the bright blue sky. Although her eyes instinctively began to close against the glaring sun, she willed them to stay open focusing in on the bright yellow gleam of light streaming down upon her.

She could feel the tears forming in her eyes long before she felt the first one slide down her cheek…unbidden and certainly unwanted. She quickly swiped away at it and took in her surroundings. It was an unseasonably warm day in Metropolis and the city hustled and bustled around her. And although everything around her was running on fast forward, Chloe's mind seemed to be stuck in slow motion...which is exactly how she felt just before leaving Clark and Oliver upstairs.

(5 minutes ago…)

They had been in full strategy mode trying to figure out what their next move was in regards to dealing with Zod. Given the new information they had discovered (care of Lois's little time travel adventure) they now realized they had to change their plan of attack. They had been going around in circles for hours; Clark insisting that he needed to befriend Zod while Oliver was content to take care of the troublesome Kandorian with one shot from his crossbow.

Chloe had spent most of the meeting playing referee between the dynamic duo, a role she was not wholly unfamiliar with. She had sat through hundreds of meetings just like this one doing the exact same thing she was doing now. But on this particular day at that particular moment Chloe suddenly found herself…disconnecting. The longer she sat there listening to Oliver and Clark fight over what to do, the less she heard… but more importantly the less she seemed to care.

Their arguing voices were quickly silenced and all she could hear was the steady whir of her computers and the distant sound of the traffic outside. Their figures faded into the background and all she could see was the dust caught in the rays of sunlight floating down from the window. She ran her index finger along the surface of her desk making track marks in the thin layer of dust slowing forming before her eyes. The smooth wood seemed to glide beneath her fingertips and she marveled at the sensation…her eyes closing of their own volition.

Meanwhile Clark and Oliver continued their back and forth bickering, apparently oblivious to Chloe's lack of attention.

"Chloe will you tell Boy Scout here that nothing can be gained from becoming BFF's with Zod?" Oliver bellowed as he leaned back in a desk chair rubbing his eyes.

Clark shot back, "Chloe would you please explain to Oliver that he can't just go off hack-cocked without thinking this thing through first?"

Both men stood up meeting in the center of room, gesturing wildly at each other trying to get their point across; engaging in their own strange form of a pissing contest. Both were so self-involved at the moment that neither of the superheroes had noticed that Chloe had yet to utter a sound in the last two minutes; a personal record for the snarky and often opinionated blonde.

"Chloe…."

"Chloe…."

"CHLOE!!!" both men screamed in unison.

Finally jolted out of her temporary catatonia, Chloe slowly lifted her eyes from the desk and looked up at the two grown men now standing toe to toe in front of her, neither of them backing down. Without speaking a word, she eased her chair back from the desk picked up her purse and laptop bag and headed towards the front door.

Clark saw her get up out of the corner of his eye. And although unwilling to back down, he shifted his gaze from the angry blonde in front of him to the silent blonde getting up from her chair.

"Chloe we haven't finished figuring out…" Clark began but was quickly cut off.

"What's to figure out?" Oliver went on, "It's quite obvious what needs to be…" Oliver stopped mid-sentence noticing the concerned look on Clark's face.

Oliver turned around and followed Clark's gaze which was squarely planted on one Chloe Sullivan who had somehow made her way from the desk to the open door. And although her back was turned to them, both could sense something was wrong. There was something in the way she stood, shoulders dropping, head hanging low; very un-Chloe-like posture. They each took a tentative step towards her but it was Oliver who spoke first.

"Chloe…" he said tentatively, "Where are you going?"

When there was no response both he and Clark exchanged confused and concerned glances and crossed the room, making their way closer to the door.

"Chloe what's going on?" Clark continued still puzzled at Chloe's behavior but becoming more alarmed at her silence. He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder.

"Don't." Chloe muttered, her voice sounding so cold and metallic quickly causing Clark to withdraw his hand.

She turned her head and lifted her gaze looking back at Clark and Oliver; identical expressions of concern etched on both their faces.

"I'm done" she simply said.

And with that she walked out the door with no intention of coming back.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 2

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

After leaving a wide-eyed Oliver and Clark, Chloe headed straight for her apartment. Upon her arrival she unceremoniously dropped her laptop bag by the door with no regard for her precious computer inside. Walking a few steps into the living room she unplugged the phone from the wall. Proceeding even further she hung her purse on a dining room chair and took out her cell phone which had been ringing nonstop since leaving Watchtower. Looking down at the small screen she saw 14 missed calls from Clark, Oliver and most recently from her cousin Lois. She quickly removed the battery and tossed it onto the dining room table.

Finally reaching the confines of her bedroom she shut the door behind her, drew the blinds and climbed into her bed. Pulling the covers over her head she closed her eyes…waiting and desperately wishing for a dreamless sleep to claim her.

(At Oliver's Penthouse)

Oliver stood by the large floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the skyline of Metropolis. He ran his hand over his normally clean shaven but scruffy face as he dialed Chloe's cell phone for the hundredth time that morning. Getting her voicemail once again he quickly hung up and shoved the damn thing back into his pocket.

"What in the hell is going on with her?" he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

It had been three days since anyone had seen or heard from Chloe. Clark and Lois were in official panic mode when they found her cell, land line and e-mail out of commission. Visits to her apartment proved just as fruitless with no one answering the incessant knocking at Chloe's door…even after Lois had threatened to return with a sledgehammer if need be.

And still…nothing.

Oliver was trying his hardest not to get sucked into Lois and Clark's hysteria and knew there had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why Chloe had suddenly cut off communication. He knew she was safe…physically safe at least.

The Green Arrow had spent the last three sleepless nights camped out on the rooftop across from her apartment building. He told himself over and over again that he was just patrolling, like he was supposed to be doing. But somehow he always ended up on that same roof staring into the windows of Chloe's apartment. Each night he found it just as he had left it the night before…lights out, blinds drawn and no movement from within. During the day when he had to attend to Queen Industries business, he had hired two undercover guys to stand guard outside Chloe's building until he had a chance to return in the evening himself.

A call from Clark and Lois had summoned him back to his penthouse where he now stood looking down over the ant-size inhabitants of Metropolis scurrying around, going about their daily business.

"Okay Smallville we're gonna go over this again" Lois huffed as she paced back and forth. "What exactly did she say?"

Clark who was seated on the couch with his head in his hands replied, "Two words Lois – I'm done – that's all she said."

"What in god's name does that mean??!! She's done with being friends with you two, being my cousin, eating double stuffed oreos?? Done with what?" Lois collapsed in a chair and laid her head back. She had been running on practically no sleep and too many cups of coffee, which for Lois was a deadly combination.

"Look guys…maybe she just needed some time" Oliver said still standing by the window, his hand pressed to the glass.

"It's been a rough month…it's been a rough year for all of us. More than any one person should ever have to deal with. Maybe she just needs some space to regroup, gather her strength." Even as the words left his mouth Oliver said it more than he believed it.

It had been a tough year. With everything that went on with Lex, Davis, Jimmy, Lois and Clark's disappearing act and his own downward spiral into oblivion he knew that they had each suffered a lifetimes' worth. But through everything Chloe had remained strong; she had been the proverbial glue that had held them all together.

And that's what had Oliver so unsettled. This was not her….not the Chloe he knew.

Without another thought or word, Oliver grabbed his coat and headed for the elevator. He was going to get some answers…whether Chloe was ready or not.

Thanks for reading everyone…next up the face to face between Chloe and Oliver!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 3

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Oliver had sped over to Chloe's apartment at breakneck speed, nearly sideswiping two taxis in his rush to get over there. The eye catching Aston Martin screeched to a halt in front of her building and without regard to the "NO PARKING" sign he jumped out, slammed the car door and sprinted over to the black Lincoln sedan parked across the street; which currently housed the two men employed to keep watch over Chloe.

"Anything?" Oliver said as he bent down and leaned into the open car window.

"Nothing Mr. Queen" one of the men replied. "Ms. Sullivan hasn't left the building since we arrived this morning."

Oliver ran his hand over his drawn and tired face and let out a frustrated breath.

"Okay, I got it from here. I'll contact you if you're needed again."

"Yes Mr. Queen" and with that the two men nodded and quickly drove off.

Oliver turned and weaved his way back through the traffic filled street. He made his way into the lobby, giving a curt nod to the doorman. He immediately headed for the stairwell, having no patience for the elevator, and taking the stairs two at a time he quickly made it up to the third floor.

Slightly out of breath the blond billionaire finally found himself standing in front of Chloe's door. He made a move to knock but suddenly stopped, unable to bring his hand up to make contact with the door.

Oliver had been in such a rush to get over here that he hadn't given much thought to what he was planning to say or do once inside. He ran through a dozen different conversation starters in his head; all ranging from the overly angry "What the hell is wrong with you?" to the overly "Oprah" touchy-feely "Tell me what's wrong and how can I help?"

Everything Oliver could think up sounded so trite and utterly unoriginal that he could almost hear Chloe's mocking response in his head.

He chuckled to himself thinking about how much she hated anything and everything cliché; her quick and snarky wit never allowing such a travesty to occur.

"Fuck it" he muttered to himself, "I'll wing it."

And with decision made he proceeded to pound his fist on the door; rattling the doorknob with each blow.

He stopped after delivering three loud but determined knocks and listened for any noise from within.

Nothing.

He repeated his actions and listened again; hoping to hear footsteps or even Chloe cursing angrily behind the closed door; anything to give him a sign that everything was okay.

Still nothing.

Looking down at the antique brass doorknob he wondered to himself…Maybe

And sure enough as he went to turn the handle he was met with no resistance as the door swung wide open.

Oliver was momentarily shocked at how easy it was to get inside, given Lois's unsuccessful attempts the last three days.

He took a few tentative steps inside, not wanting to alarm Chloe if she hadn't heard him come in. Taking a quick survey of the room Oliver was looking for any sign, not just of Chloe, but of anything out the ordinary to indicate that she was in some kind of trouble or danger.

Everything appeared to be normal, tidy even; which is what immediately alarmed Oliver.

He had been to Chloe's apartment hundreds of times since she officially became his Watchtower; whether it was planning a mission with the boys or going over some newly discovered information about illegal Luthercorp dealings. All those times Oliver had noticed how Chloe's apartment was always in disarray; unopened mail sitting on her kitchen counter, half-read magazines strewn across her coffee table, and always a half-empty pot of coffee in the coffee maker.

He recalled a time not too long ago when he was standing exactly where he was standing now…

"_How is it possible for you to be such a genius and such a slob at the same time?" Oliver said to Chloe who was kneeling on the floor peering underneath her couch._

_She had been searching her entire living room looking for a missing shoe for the past five minutes. _

"_This from a man who has never even seen a toilet brush let alone picked one up" she quipped still down on the ground._

"_Yes!" she exclaimed triumphantly as she came up from the floor with the shoe in her hand._

"_Ordered chaos, Mr. Queen, ordered chaos" she said as she breezed past him._

_He snorted at her but smiled as she disappeared into her bedroom. Oliver looked around and thought how comfortable and "lived-in" her apartment felt in comparison to his cold museum-like penthouse. Thinking back it was probably why he opted to have team meetings here instead of at his place or why the guys always chose to come to Chloe's apartment after missions to unwind. _

_It felt like home…she felt like home. _

Forcing himself back to the present day Oliver walked through the living room and made his way toward Chloe's bedroom, sure that he would find her there.

"Chloe" he called out as he approached her bedroom door.

As he opened the door he found more of the same disturbing order. Her bed was made and her desk, which was normally topped with stacks of paper and her laptop, was completely empty. Oliver stepped inside and looked around, confused and growing more worried as each second passed.

He sat down on her bed and folded his hands resting his elbows on his knees, trying to figure out where she could be.

She hadn't left the building, his men assured him of that when he arrived. He had checked every room in the small apartment, including her bathroom and hallway closet. He had even checked under the bed, as ridiculous as he must have looked doing so.

As he sat there contemplating his next move his gaze wandered over to the dresser where he saw a large black suitcase along with a cardboard moving box that was partially open. He walked over to the suitcase and picked it up, and found it to be quite full and heavy. Oliver suddenly felt a knot beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. There was only one reason for a packed suitcase…and from the looks of it she wasn't just planning for a quick weekend trip.

He kneeled in front of cardboard box almost afraid of what he would find inside. As he lifted the partially closed top with trembling hands, he found himself staring at Chloe's entire life…in pictures.

There must have been at least a thousand pictures inside that box. Oliver reached in and grabbed a stack and started flipping through them. One of her 1st birthday party; one with her father holding her in his arms dressed as a pumpkin for Halloween; one in her cap and gown flanked by Clark and Lana at graduation; one of her, Clark and the Kents at their farm; one of her and Jimmy in front of the Daily Planet.

Then he had flipped to a picture of the two of them sitting on her couch. It was a candid shot taken almost a year ago when they had thrown Bart a surprise birthday party. Chloe was cutting the birthday cake as Oliver was looking at her laughing.

Dropping the other pictures back into the box, Oliver stared at the photo before him. He focused in on Chloe's face, her green eyes shining with such happiness. His own face exuded such a relaxed and carefree expression, one he had seemed to be missing these last three days.

But what struck him the most was how he was looking at Chloe; with such genuine appreciation and adoration; and something deeper…something that he wasn't quite ready to admit, even to himself.

"What are you doing here?" said a familiar voice from behind him.

Oliver nearly jumped out of his skin from the surprise and quickly turning around, accidentally dropped the picture at the size 5 feet standing in front of him.

He looked up to see Chloe standing inside her bedroom door holding a manila envelope and wearing a very unreadable expression on her face.

"I…I was…I mean…" Oliver stammered, as he stood up trying to recover from the shock and embarrassment of being discovered in her bedroom going through her personal things.

Chloe reached down to pick up the picture. Without even looking at it, she casually tossed it into the cardboard box as if she were throwing away a used Kleenex. Without a word she pushed her way past a still-stunned Oliver and knelt in front of the box.

She folded the flaps down and secured it before lifting it up and carrying it outside to the living room.

Oliver, who had finally recovered his ability to speak, followed Chloe to the other room.

"What's going on Chloe?" he asked sounding confused and still a little dazed.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" she replied her back still turned as she placed the box on the coffee table.

"I mean you are in MY apartment. And I don't seem to remember inviting you in here" she answered in a very matter-of-fact almost deadpan tone.

"The door was open" he said and even before the words left his mouth, he was already mentally kicking himself in the head for making such an idiotic statement.

"And you needed no other invitation to come in and invade my privacy?" she asked, as she turned around to face him.

Oliver's head was busting at the seams. On the one hand he was overjoyed to see Chloe and to find that she was safe and sound; he was also confused about everything he had discovered in her apartment – the suitcase, the box of pictures; but most of all he was terrified of what he saw in her face.

As she looked him straight in the eye, Oliver was almost bowled over by the woman who stood in front of him. He didn't recognize her at all. Her face was ashen and pale as if she hadn't slept in days. Her green eyes, which normally exploded with color, now seemed gray and lifeless. Her mouth, which normally flashed a blinding smile, was now set in a thin line with rigid unmoving lips.

They stood there staring at each other; the small space separating them seemed more like a never-ending abyss, neither of them willing to take the leap.

Chloe raised her eyebrows slightly, daring Oliver to speak first. And never one to back down from the challenge, Oliver took a deep breath and closed the distance between them. He took two long strides and now stood face to face with her, their bodies mere inches apart.

Being this close to her after days of going out of his mind with worry was making his ability to think rationally rather difficult.

His irrational thoughts kept screaming at him, "_Grab her and never let her out of your sight again!"_

And as much as he wanted to give in, he knew better than to act on his emotions. He watched her for some sort of reaction to him. Yet still she remained stiff and Oliver could literally feel the cold coming off her body.

"Everyone's freaked out Chloe." He tried lowering his gaze to stare into her eyes.

"You up and vanished and everyone has been going out of their minds with worry; Clark, Lois, the guys…" Oliver trailed off.

Chloe stood quietly waiting for him to finish. When she looked into his face she saw him struggle for words, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his forehead creased in concentration. When it seemed as if he had nothing else to say, Chloe started to turn away when she heard him mutter something under his breath.

Turning around she asked, "What did you say?"

Meeting her gaze once again he whispered, "And me…"

"You scared the hell out of me when I couldn't find you, talk to you, make sure you were safe…" He finally let it out as if a giant weight was being lifted off his chest with each word he spoke.

He continued on unable to stop the emotional floodgates from flying wide open now.

"I drove myself crazy trying to contact you, but all I got was silence. No phone call, no e-mail, no fucking note telling everyone to leave you alone!" Oliver roared on not caring about his volume.

"Do you know what that feels like??" He continued starting to move in closer. Chloe could feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she stepped back trying to maintain her personal space.

He was getting too close and she couldn't handle that…not now.

But for every step Chloe took back, Oliver took one more forward. He could see in her eyes that he was getting through.

Suddenly Chloe felt the wall solid and unmoving behind her; and she couldn't back up any further. Oliver quickly cornered her in, placing one hand on the wall above her head, making any chance of escape seem impossible.

"Do you know how it feels when you start imagining crazy whacked out scenarios about torture and pain and death where you, Chloe Sullivan, were playing the starring role?" Oliver said in a much quieter tone but with such fierce emotion in his words and in his expression.

She tried to avert her eyes away from his…knowing she could get through this, go through with her plan if she could just look away…walk away…and never look back.

But Oliver it seemed had different ideas about where she would be going at the moment.

Chloe closed her eyes against Oliver's penetrating gaze.

She retreated into her mind, recalling the last three days of her life and how she had arrived at her current state and her current decision….

Chloe was leaving Metropolis; and everything and everyone in it behind…forever.

So this took me a while to write, so please review/comment. I'll try to have the next chapter up in a couple of days (hopefully sooner with the help of more reviews !!)


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 4

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Chloe was leaving Metropolis; and everything and everyone in it behind…forever.

(Three days ago…)

_Chloe tried and failed several times to fall asleep that night. Instead she had lay awake for most of the night after abruptly leaving Oliver and Clark back at Watchtower without a single word of explanation. Instead of the good night's sleep that she so desperately prayed for, she spent a good part of the night and early morning counting exactly 247 cracks in her ceiling. _

_She realized that sleep would never come; not until she could turn her brain off and stop the image of her dead body laying across a destroyed Metropolis street from filling her mind's eye. _

_Lois's time travel to the future had brought with it useful information about the Kandorian known as Zod and how Clark could supposedly defeat him. Since learning of their fate in the not-so-distant future, much of Clark, Oliver and the Justice League's time had been spent analyzing the information to help them defeat their enemies._

_Chloe on the other hand could not focus on anything…not Zod, not Clark or the Justice League._

_All she could think about was the fact that in less than a year from now if the future that Lois saw ran its course, she would be dead._

_Chloe Sullivan, not even reaching the ripe old age of 30 would be erased from existence. _

_When she first learned of her fate she simply brushed it off, focusing instead on bringing Lois back from her coma and helping Clark and Oliver strategize. She refused to accept the hand that life would supposedly deal her. Instead she focused on gathering information, serving as the Watchtower to her team all the while pushing those feelings of dread way down deep into the dark corners of her mind where they would not and could not get in the way of doing her job. _

_But once the dust had settled and she was left alone with the deafening silence of her own thoughts, the brutal images of her cold and lifeless body began to invade her mind._

_She once read somewhere that when 100 people were asked if they could know the exact time, date and circumstances of their death, would they want to know? 98 people said no. Only 2 people had responded yes._

_Chloe remembered asking herself which side of the question she'd put herself on. Back then she would have answered the question with a resounding "YES!" Of course she would want to know when and how she would die. _

_Chloe thought this knowledge would give her freedom; set her free from fear. Fear of death, fear of the unknown. Instead it would give her the power to take charge of her life and do all the things she dreamed of doing before leaving this earth. _

_But now that she actually had the answer to that question, she realized she had been wrong…so wrong._

_She didn't want to know. She didn't want to know that she would never become a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter. She didn't want to know that she would never find the love of her life, get married and grow old with him. She didn't want to know that she would never have children or tons of grandchildren like she always thought she would._

_Chloe wished in her heart that she didn't know any of it._

_But she did._

_That knowledge hit her like a brick wall. _

_She couldn't think; couldn't do her job; couldn't bring herself to do anything; couldn't even talk to anyone…no one would understand._

_She had to be alone. And so she took off, unplugged herself from the world and tried to think. _

_At first Chloe did her damndest to deny what she knew. She had tried to convince herself over and over that her death was only a "what if" and that she, Oliver and Clark could change the course of things to come and prevent everything that Lois saw in the future from ever happening. But she knew better. All the people she had lost were proof of that._

_And when she finally stopped the denial, she got angry._

_She blamed her mother and father for not being there for her when she needed them. She blamed Jimmy for dying and leaving her alone. She blamed Lex and Davis and every other meteor freak out there for hurting so many innocent people. She blamed Lois for traveling to the future and seeing what she saw. She blamed Clark for ever telling her his secret in the first place, which threw her entire life into upheaval. She blamed Oliver for making her care; for making her care about doing the right thing and fighting for justice. _

_Because in the end, look where it would get her?_

_Chloe wandered around her apartment for countless hours; day turning into night turning into day, everything blurring together. _

_She started looking at all her old scrapbooks and photo albums; all the people who had loved her and who she had loved…all the people who had left her and the people who would eventually leave._

_Chloe knew the moment that Clark had revealed his secret to her, that her world would be forever changed. And despite living a life filled with alien superpowers, near death experiences, broken bones and more than a few broken hearts, she had never once wished for things to be different…until now._

_She would tolerate it no more. She may dead in a year, but it was her choice how that year would play out._

_She wanted out of this crazy life of meteor freaks and masked heroes; of loving people and losing them; of "fighting the good fight" for a lost cause._

_And for the first time in her life, Chloe found out what she wanted most of all - normalcy._

_Even if that meant giving up her life in Metropolis and getting away…for good_

_So she had begun to purge her past. First it started with the pictures; all her albums and scrapbooks picked apart and thrown into a box. Then she turned her vengeance on her apartment, throwing away all her personal things – letters, old files, things from her now "former" life._

_She had packed a suitcase; enough to get her far away from Metropolis. _

_And finally she went to her landlord's apartment, one floor below hers, and gave up her keys._

_It was when she was returning from this final errand that she walked in on Oliver in her apartment. _

(Present day…)

Chloe hadn't expected this.

She didn't expect to find Oliver.

She didn't expect him to get angry.

She didn't expect him to care.

If it had been anyone but him…

Clark, Lois, anyone else… she could have handled them easily and walked right out the door; but not him.

They had become close these last few years. What had started out as a job as his Watchtower had turned to friendship; then had become so much more. Not just a friendship but a true connection and sense of understanding between two people who knew each others' deepest desires…and fears.

And now here he was standing in front of her, his words hitting too close to home, his eyes seeing far too deep into her soul.

She had to look away; had to drive away the anger, disappointment and pain written all over his face.

So she closed her eyes hoping that she could find an escape and walk away like she had planned.

Their faces were inches apart and she could sense him all around her.

She could feel the warmth of his breath float across her cheeks; smell the hint of cologne he wore on his neck; hear the slight tremble in his voice as he spoke to her.

"Look at me Chloe."

She shut her eyes even tighter trying to block out his words and all the feelings they stirred up inside her.

He reached his hand up and gently took hold of her chin forcing her face to meet his own.

"Chloe, please."

Her heart broke at the desperation in his voice. She sensed herself losing her resolve and could feel herself losing the battle between what she needed to do and what she wanted to do.

She opened her eyes and found him looking at her, waiting for her to say something…anything.

"What do you want from me Oliver?" she asked, her own eyes pleading with him.

It was such a loaded question. One his mind didn't know the answer to, even though his heart did.

"I want you to tell me. I want to understand."

"How can I make you understand something I can't even explain to myself?" Chloe replied shaking her head sadly.

He could see that she was just as confused as he was. He wanted to help but if he were honest with himself, he didn't quite know how to do that.

"Then you don't have to explain anything" he said grasping both her shoulders with his hands.

"Just don't shut me out."

And just like that the wall she had built up around herself these past three days had slowly started to crumble and she fell into the shelter of his embrace.

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief as he felt her finally give in. He gathered her into his arms and held her up, feeling her knees start to weaken beneath her.

"I'm so tired" she whispered as she buried her face into his chest.

Without hesitation Oliver gently picked her up and carried her to her the couch close by.

He set her down first then quickly sat next to her, tucking her safely back into his arms.

She nestled in closer and laid her had on his shoulder as his chin came to rest on top of her head.

The exhaustion of the last three days had finally caught up with them both. They were both physically and mentally drained and before they even had a chance to think, they were both fast asleep.

…

A stream of sunlight came shining through the window and hit Oliver square across his face, waking him from his deep slumber.

He tried, unsuccessfully to open his eyes, but the glare of the sun kept him from opening them fully. He brought his hand up in an attempt to shield his face.

For a second he forgot where he was exactly or even what day it was.

As his mind began to rouse itself from sleep, the hours before slowly starting to come back to him; and the pieces of the puzzle began to come together in his mind.

Suddenly Oliver's head shot up realizing that something was missing…someone was missing.

He looked over to find himself all alone on Chloe's couch, in Chloe's apartment. But without Chloe.

He turned around scanning the living room for her, but she was nowhere to be found.

He jumped up and ran to bedroom, praying that she was in the bathroom taking a shower or changing, already knowing she wouldn't be.

His heart jumped into his chest as he looked around the empty bedroom; his worst fears confirmed.

Oliver came back out to the living room and he swallowed hard trying to fight the panic that was building inside of his stomach.

He looked around nervously not knowing what to do when he his gaze landed on a folded piece of paper on the coffee table.

He slowly walked over and picked it up, recognizing her handwriting right away.

_I do know how it feels…and that's why I have to go. _

_I'm sorry._

_-Chloe_

A/N: Oh my the angst…I'm a sucker for it. You didn't think it would be that easy for them did you? More reviews and you shall be rewarded with another chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 5

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Oliver had been sitting on Chloe's couch for a solid 10 minutes unable to move, as if he were cemented to the spot. When he awoke and realized she was gone, he couldn't bring himself to leave her apartment; desperately trying to figure out what had happened and more importantly what he was supposed to do.

Her suitcase and the box filled with her pictures were gone. The only evidence that she had even lived there was the note she had left him.

_I do know how it feels…and that's why I have to go. I'm sorry._

He held the scrap of paper in his hands, reading her words over and over again. Oliver thought that if he read it enough times he would find some clue, some hint as to where she would have gone or what she was planning to do.

But the words simply stared back at him, almost taunting him. He had been so close; he thought he had finally gotten through to her last night as she finally let him in and they lay in the safety of each others' arms. But the hollow feeling in his heart now erased any hope he had that things would be okay.

"Dammit!" Oliver muttered as he crumpled up the sad little note and threw it across the living room.

He let his head fall into his hands as his desperation began to take over.

Oliver was so out of it, he barely registered the sound of his cell phone ringing in his pocket.

Letting out a deep sigh, he dug the phone out of his pocket.

"What?" he said rather angrily into the phone.

"You better get over here...right now."

…

Lois had answered the door of her apartment to find a disheveled Oliver Queen standing before her. He looked exhausted and completely unkept as if he hadn't been home in days; which for the billionaire CEO was a rarity. His face was drawn and pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Lois couldn't tell whether it was a result of tears or lack of sleep.

She stepped back from the door and let Oliver inside. He crossed the living room and immediately collapsed on the couch, letting his head fall back and his eyes close.

"Jesus Ollie, what the hell happened to you?" Lois asked as she took a seat across from him.

He didn't answer her. More importantly he didn't know how to answer her. What the hell did happen? He had been on an emotional rollercoaster in the last 24 hours; first worried, then angry, then scared, then relieved…now lost.

Lost because she was gone, and he didn't know where she was or how to get her back.

Oliver lifted his head and looked around the living room, trying to avoid Lois's gaze; which he could already feel boring into him. Instead his eyes scanned the small room and landed on a familiar sight.

The box from Chloe's apartment was tucked away in the corner.

Oliver immediately shot up from his seat.

"_She's been here," _he thought to himself as he made his way over to the now familiar cardboard box.

Lois watched as Oliver jumped up and practically ran past her.

"She was here" he said as more of a statement than a question, lifting the top of the box and seeing Chloe's pictures staring back at him.

"She came by early this morning" Lois replied as she rose from her seat and went to stand next to him.

Oliver reached into the box and picked up the photo of the two of them from Bart's birthday party. He gently ran his finger over Chloe's face, outlining her smile; a small smile finding its way to his own lips as he replayed the scene in his mind.

_Bart had been ecstatic over the surprise party. He had literally run circles around the apartment when he walked in to find his closest friends waiting for him to celebrate his birthday._

"_Told you he'd be surprised" Chloe sang as she brought the cake out with Oliver right behind her._

"_I have to admit, I had my doubts" Oliver replied as he helped her put the candles on the cake._

"_Please…who do you think you're dealing with here Queen?" she smirked as she attempted to light the candles. _

_Unfortunately since Bart was racing around the room so excitedly, each time Chloe tried to strike a match, the gust of wind immediately blew out the flame._

"_Bart knock it off will you!" Chloe bellowed getting slightly annoyed but grinning on the inside. _

"_Sorry Chloeliscious, I'm just so excited!" Bart said as he finally came to a stop next to her, "It's been forever since I celebrated my birthday."_

"_Well that's definitely going to change from here on out" Chloe replied, giving him a small peck on the cheek._

_Bart suddenly let out a girlish squeal and began to blush at the innocent kiss. But before any of the guys could start making fun, he jumped up and started racing around the room again as Chloe began to laugh._

_Oliver watched the exchange between the two and smiled, savoring such a rare moment of normalcy in the League's crazy "too busy saving the world" lives. He looked over at Chloe; her face so content and happy; as if she wer__**e **__exactly where she wanted to be…and where she belonged._

Oliver couldn't tear his eyes away from Chloe's face; she had been so happy then, so full of life. It was such a drastic change from the sight he had been confronted with just a few hours ago; the one of Chloe so broken and so lost. He felt his heart literally ache in his chest at the thought of her face last night.

Oliver took the picture and gently tucked into his jacket pocket.

He turned to find Lois studying him intently. Apparently she had been watching him for the last few minutes as he relived the memory that had come flooding back to him.

Lois watched as a multitude of expressions flashed across Oliver's face as he stared at Chloe's picture. She saw the sincerity, the tenderness, the longing…and something more.

Oliver turned to Lois; silently asking her to explain what had happened.

"She just showed up at my door; no phone call, nothing. She acted like nothing was wrong, like we all hadn't been going crazy the past three days trying to reach her."

"She came with that," Lois said motioning down to the box, "and told me to keep it."

Oliver could see the confusion in Lois's face, but he let her go on.

"I tried to ask her what was wrong, but she just kept saying that she needed to go… that she was done," Lois continued, "and that she was leaving Metropolis for good."

Oliver's heart broke at Lois's last words…for good. It seemed so final, so absolute. She had left all remnants of her past behind in that box; her family, her friends, and him. His mind wasn't ready to accept it and his heart wasn't willing to believe that Chloe was really and truly gone.

"She can't be…" Oliver whispered to himself unable to complete the sentence.

"Oliver," Lois said hesitantly, "What's going on? I don't understand…" she trailed off seeing the same look of uncertainty on his face.

…

Chloe inhaled the gentle scent of cherry blossoms as she strolled along the National Mall gazing up at the giant stone pillar that was the Washington Monument. She was thronged on all sides by tourists taking millions of pictures, large groups of students listening to tour guides, and the occasional jogger getting their morning exercise in.

Seeing the little kids she thought back to her own childhood days when she had visited Washington D.C. with her 8th grade social studies class. Even then Chloe remembered how awestruck she had been at the enormous marble buildings and the grandeur of the entire city; the Capitol, the White House, everything so dignified and important.

It was officially spring, but there was still a slight morning chill in the air. She pulled her sweater tightly around her and took a deep breath, feeling the crisp air invigorating her senses as she walked on, stopping to take an occasional picture just like any other tourist.

Chloe had arrived in Washington D.C. two days ago. She hadn't planned on coming here. In fact after leaving Lois's apartment that morning she wasn't quite sure where she was headed. She somehow had found herself at the Metropolis airport staring blankly at the bright blue departure screen, hundreds of travelers bustling around her. Her eyes had scanned the long list of cities, landing on the very last one…Washington D.C.

It was at that exact moment that the image of Martha Kent had popped into her head. She suddenly remembered that Martha Kent was in Washington D.C. serving as state senator in place of her husband the late Jonathan Kent. It seemed to make perfect sense.

Chloe thought to herself…_Mrs. Kent would take her in. Mrs. Kent wouldn't ask questions; most importantly Mrs. Kent would understand._

So Chloe had boarded the plane and endured the uncomfortable flight, wedged between two rather large men with entirely too much interest in talking her ear off the entire way there.

And when Chloe had landed, she called Martha Kent and her instincts were confirmed. Mrs. Kent took her in…and she didn't ask any questions.

…

Martha Kent had been surprised if not confused at Chloe's phone call that day, saying she was in Washington D.C. and was asking to stay with her. What troubled her more was Chloe's request not to tell Clark she was there.

But Martha had honored her wishes, despite a growing sense of worry for the young woman she considered to be her own daughter. Chloe had practically grown up on the Kent farm alongside Clark. She was his best friend, his confidant, and his protector. In a way she felt assured leaving Smallville, knowing Chloe was there to take care of her son.

So when she had showed up at Martha's door clearly worn out and tired, she welcomed her with open arms.

Chloe had spent a good part of her first day in Washington D.C. sound asleep. Still physically and mentally drained from everything that had happened, her body had finally protested unwilling to let her go on without rest.

Ten hours of sleep later Chloe finally woke up, feeling rested at last. She looked outside her window and it was dark. She had been asleep so long she couldn't tell if it was evening or early morning. She pulled the covers off and made her way to the stairs. As she descended to the bottom floor, her nostrils were suddenly filled with the aroma of Mrs. Kent's pot roast. Chloe stopped and inhaled the smell. It enveloped her, warming her from the inside out as it reminded her of the many evenings she had spent at the Kent's house for dinner. She followed the smell into the kitchen and found Martha standing at the counter, apron on and in full cooking mode.

Chloe smiled as she watched Martha bustle around the kitchen. She may have been a state senator but she was still a mom at heart.

"Smells great Mrs. Kent" Chloe said as she walked in taking a seat at the counter.

Martha smiled, "I hope you're hungry. I think I made enough to feed the entire Senate."

Chloe's stomach growled fiercely in response.

"Well then," Martha chuckled, "guess that answers my question. C'mon let's eat."

Martha had insisted on second and third helpings for Chloe who looked like she hadn't eaten in days; and when they had finished dinner they sat in the living room with their coffee. Chloe had kept the conversation light, mostly asking questions about Mrs. Kent's life in D.C and her job as a senator. In truth Chloe kept the inquisition going hoping to deflect any discussion about her own life and why exactly she had unexpectedly turned up in Washington.

Martha could sense instinctively that something was wrong. She had, of course, heard about everything that had been going on in Metropolis. In truth she had kept tabs on Clark and Chloe ever since she left Smallville; one of the perks of being a senator. Before Chloe had even arrived in Washington Martha had known everything; about Davis Bloom and the death of Jimmy Olsen. Her heart ached for all the suffering Chloe had endured these past couple of years…and how much of that suffering she had endured all alone.

She knew Chloe to be a strong woman and never once doubted her ability to handle anything and everything that life threw at her; that's why she felt confident in leaving Clark in her capable hands. But the girl who sat before her now was not the same person. Martha could see defeat in her eyes and it scared her.

"Chloe" Martha began, "I want you to tell me."

They were the exact words that Oliver had said to her when she was about to leave Metropolis. And while she was unable to answer him then, she found herself wanting to answer her now.

"It all started with Lois traveling to the future…"

A/N: Sorry for the long wait folks…life got in the way. Promise there will be more Oliver/Chloe in the next chapter. Reviews would help it along though =)


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 6

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

(Washington D.C.)

Martha Kent listened patiently while Chloe had related all that had gone on before she arrived in Washington D.C.; discovering her healing powers, working with the Justice League, running away with Davis, watching Jimmy die, Clark abandoning her, and finally the glimpse of Chloe's grim future.

Her heart broke as Chloe relived every painful memory. She could see the wound in her heart literally ripping open again with each word she uttered. But amidst all the heartache, Martha also caught glimpses of happiness…mostly having to do with some man named Oliver Queen.

Chloe told her all the crazy stories about the masked man in green leather; how he had come into her life, how she had begun to work for him, and how they had come to be friends. The more Martha listened to her talk about him, the more she came to realize how important this person was and had become to Chloe; even if Chloe was not aware of it herself yet.

"I just wish I could forget all of it" Chloe sighed as she closed her eyes, wishing her words into action.

"It would be so much easier just to be normal girl with normal everyday problems."

Martha could see the emotional toll that the past year had taken on the young woman sitting in front of her…and she could relate. Martha thought back to all the sleepless nights she had spent worrying about Clark and of course losing Jonathan. The pain over the death of her husband was still so raw and snuck up on her from time to time, pulling out the proverbial rug from under her.

She recognized the look of despair and surrender in Chloe's eyes and knew she was heading down a dark path that could very well damage her forever. It was then that Martha knew she HAD to do something.

After hours of talking, Chloe was exhausted and had gone to bed. Instead of following her lead, Martha sat in the kitchen well past midnight still staring at the cell phone on the table in front of her.

She had promised Chloe she wouldn't tell anyone she was there; and she wanted to keep her promise. But seeing the look on Chloe's face and the desperation in her voice made her think otherwise.

Martha finally picked up the phone and dialed.

"Clark, it's mom. There's something I need to tell you…"

…

(Metropolis)

Oliver pulled the arrow back, feeling the taut string of the bow bend under his fingers. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on the target in front of him.

_I do know how it feels…and that's why I have to go._

Chloe's words echoed in his mind as he let go of the arrow. He watched it sail past the target and into the padded wall behind it, joining about 50 other badly shot arrows.

"Dammit!" he muttered to himself rubbing his tired eyes.

He had been at it for hours, hoping the distraction of target practice would take away the gnawing feeling in his stomach and make the pain that felt like it had taken up permanent residence in his chest disappear.

It had been two days since Chloe had left Metropolis. And after two days of endless phone calls and emails to his contacts all over the globe, she was still nowhere to be found. Oliver quickly realized that when Chloe Sullivan didn't want to be found, she would damn well get her way.

He was about to reach for another arrow when he heard his cell phone ringing.

Practically running across the room he grabbed his phone, hoping for the hundredth time that this time it would be her.

"Hello?" Oliver said in the phone almost out of breath.

"Hey bossman, just calling to check in."

Oliver's shoulders dropped in disappointment as he heard Bart's voice crackle over the line.

"I can barely hear you Bart. Where are you?"

"In Hong Kong" he replied as his voice continued cutting in and out.

"What the hell are you doing there? I thought I told you to check out California!" Oliver seethed as he let out an exasperated breath.

"I was boss, I'm just on a quick lunch break" Bart whined, "I got a craving for chow mein so..."

"Stop thinking about your stomach and get back to you assignment now!" Oliver growled and quickly hung up on the youngest JL member.

Oliver had sent the JL all over the globe in search of Chloe and after two days of searching they were still coming up empty. A.C. and Victor were starting to lose hope with every place they searched, but Bart continued his globe-trotting night and day, confident that HE would be the one to find Chloe.

Despite all their fears, Clark and Lois included, Oliver wouldn't give up. He simply refused to believe she was gone.

But if he were truly honest with himself, he could feel the hope literally slipping away with each passing hour that she hadn't been found.

It was driving him crazy and unfortunately everyone around him paid the price.

Oliver had to return to work to deal with some important business matters but in the process had been rude and impatient with his staff at Queen Industries, realizing that work was the last thing on his mind. Gathering the JL members to begin the search for Chloe he barked orders at them not even stopping to ask them what they thought. He had simply ignored Lois's incessant calls, not wanting to deal with her attitude over the lack of progress in finding her cousin. And then there was Clark. He couldn't even stand being in the same room as Clark, without wanting to wring the big dumb superhero's neck.

"_I'm sure she's fine Oliver" Clark said when he showed up at Lois's the morning that Chloe left._

_Oliver had literally felt the vein in his neck begin to throb at Clark's callous and uncaring words._

"_She's your best friend Clark" Oliver fumed, "and you don't seem to be the slightest bit interested in her whereabouts. She could be in trouble, or hurt, or…"_

"_Or maybe just needs to be on her own" Clark said in a surprisingly calm voice._

_Oliver's eyes widened, not believing how unfazed Clark was by the situation, while he was literally going out of his mind with worry._

"_Don't you even care?!" Oliver screamed as he came to stand in front of Clark, challenging him with his eyes._

"_Of course I care, she's my best friend" Clark replied seemingly not intimated by the angry blonde, "and she's a smart woman Oliver. If there's one thing I know about Chloe, it's that she knows how to handle herself."_

"_Maybe YOU don't know her as well as you think you do, considering you abandoned her right after her husband had just died!" Oliver spat out._

"_That's enough guys!" Lois said, separating the two men before her, "this isn't getting us anywhere."_

_Each of them backed down and retreated to opposite sides of the room, like two boxers in a ring going to their separate corners after a round._

"_Oliver, I think Clark's right. Chloe's a smart girl. She knows what she's doing and she'll come back when she's good and ready" Lois said trying to diffuse the anger and testosterone in the room._

_Oliver looked up and stared straight into Clark's eyes, "You didn't see her Clark. She's not the same."_

_Clark looked into Oliver's eyes and saw it all; the sorrow, the pain, the fear. And for the first time since Chloe had left, Clark was beginning to believe him. _

Oliver threw his phone back onto his desk and dropped himself in his chair. Reaching over he opened the drawer and pulled out the photo of him and Chloe that he had taken from Lois's apartment.

The edges were a bit wrinkled from the countless hours he had spent staring at it over the past two days. He could feel a lump beginning to form in his throat as his eyes settled on Chloe's smiling face.

Suddenly he felt a strong gust of wind behind him.

"I'm not in the mood to argue right now Clark" Oliver said as he closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

"I'm not here to fight" Clark replied, Oliver's back to still turned, "I want to know why."

"Why what?" Oliver said rather annoyed.

"Why do you care?"

Oliver put the picture down and turned around in his chair ready for round 2.

"What the hell are you talking about boy scout?" Oliver seethed, his patience hanging by a thread.

"I'm talking about Chloe. Why do you care?" Clark said, careful to keep his emotions in check as well.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Oliver snorted in disbelief. "Why wouldn't I care? Why don't YOU care? Aren't you worried about her? Don't you realize how much pain she's in right now?"

Oliver stood up to meet his gaze, "I've been there Clark. I know what it's like to be alone; to give up on yourself and everyone around you. And it scares the hell out of me to think that those same self-destructive thoughts are going through Chloe's mind right now."

"You didn't answer my question Oliver" Clark persisted, "why do you care?"

Oliver was dumbstruck and utterly confused at Clark's words.

Clark stood in silence waiting for Oliver to speak. He knew the answer to the question even if Oliver still didn't. Clark had seen it clear as day in Oliver's eyes back at Lois's apartment.

Oliver Queen was in love with Chloe Sullivan.

And Clark knew that to have even a fighting chance of bringing Chloe back, Oliver had to admit the truth to himself first.

After getting over his initial annoyance, Oliver began to ponder Clark's question. Why DID he care so much? Why had the past few days been his own personal version of hell? Why had he felt so empty like a giant hole was beginning to take over his body from the inside out? Why couldn't he stop seeing Chloe's face every time he closed his eyes? Why did he feel like a part of him had disappeared the day she left?

His mind was racing a mile a minute, replaying every day, every hour he had spent with her; remembering how easily she made him laugh at himself; how much he craved their mindless late night conversations at the Watchtower; how excited he would get at the mere thought that he was going to see her…

"I love her" Oliver said finally realizing the truth, "I love her Clark, that's why I care."

Clark nodded his head in agreement. Reaching in his pocket he handed Oliver a small piece of paper.

"424 K Street" Clark said, "in Washington D.C."

A/N: Okay dear readers, I know it's been a while and I'm sure you were hoping for some Chlollie. It's definitely on its way in the next chapter. But please, please review first!!! (Yes it is blackmail, I know).


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 7

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Oliver shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat of his private jet. They had just taken off from Metropolis airport and already Oliver was itching to be on the ground in Washington D.C. His knee bounced up and down nervously as he stared out the window of the plane, almost willing the sleek leer jet to hurry up and land.

"Can I get you anything else Mr. Queen?" the stewardess asked as she placed the bottle of water in front of him.

Oliver looked up and gave her a small smile, "Yeah, think you could ask the pilots to speed it up?"

"I'll see what I can do" the young woman grinned in response as she headed back towards the galley.

Oliver took a sip of water, the cold liquid giving slight relief to his dry mouth. He had so many emotions running through him right now that he could barely register one before another quickly took over. After his conversation with Clark, and the realization of how he really felt about Chloe, he found himself even more confused and just a little bit scared.

Being concerned over the safety of your friend was one thing; knowing that you were in love with her was something else entirely. Oliver knew he didn't have the best track record when it came to women; Tess, Lois and the nameless, faceless women that had followed. And he knew why. He had never truly known what it was like to connect with someone; to know, not just think that there was another soul out there who really understood who he was and accept him with all his flaws…until now.

Chloe knew him. He hadn't been lying to her that day after the business with Roulette when he told her she had saved him, "both the man and the myth." Through everything they had been through she had believed in him and what he stood for. Even when he doubted himself and let himself fall, she was there to catch him and bring him back from the dark depths of oblivion.

He just prayed he was strong enough to do the same for her.

…

Chloe had just finished touring her fourth Smithsonian museum. The Air and Space Museum was by far her favorite. She marveled at all the planes and space shuttles; the little kid in her getting excited as she sat in the cockpit of old planes pretending to soar high up in the sky.

"_This must be how Oliver feels when he's zipping around the rooftops of Metropolis_" Chloe thought to herself, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Quickly realizing her mistake, she shook her head; trying to get the image of him out of her mind. She had promised herself that she wouldn't do this; she had left Metropolis and everyone in it behind her. She was determined to start anew; and that meant leaving her memories in the past, where they belonged.

She had spent most of the morning walking around D.C., making her rounds past the Capitol Building and the White House. As she turned and started down 15th Street, she found herself in front of the building that housed The Washington Post. She stared up at the black metal letters that seemed to gleam in the sunlight. The old reporter in her felt a slight chill of excitement run up her spine at the thought of all the chaos and craziness that was going on inside this very building.

Although Chloe had left her reporter days behind her long ago, she couldn't help but wonder what life would be like working at a newspaper like The Washington Post; chasing down stories instead of meteor freaks; staying up late typing a news story rather than gathering information on Luthercorp's latest illegal labs at the Watchtower.

"Why not?" she asked herself aloud.

She had promised herself a new life…a new beginning. This was just as good a place as any to start making good on that promise. So without a second thought, Chloe found herself pulling open the wide glass doors and heading straight for the reception desk.

"Who can I speak to about possible job opportunities?" she said, a determined glint in her eye.

…

"Mrs. Kent you won't believe where I just came from!" Chloe squealed as she walked in the door of Martha Kent's townhouse, dropping her bag excitedly by the door.

"I just met with one of the features editors of The Washington Post and…"

Chloe stopped midsentence and felt her breath catch in her throat as she found herself staring into the face of one Oliver Queen. He was sitting on the couch, his brown eyes seeking out her green ones, his intense gaze successfully stopping her dead in her tracks.

Her mouth suddenly went dry as she took in the man before her. He was, as always, dressed impeccably in black slacks and a crisp white collared shirt. He still wore his overcoat indicating to her that he had just arrived. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, and his fingers steepled as though in prayer. He gazed at her over his hands, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, finding her ability to speak failing her at the moment, and unable to tear her gaze away from him.

"Mrs. Kent went to the store to pick up something for dinner" Oliver said, finally breaking the silence.

He stood up slowly not wanting to make any sudden movements that might scare her off. He could sense the shock of seeing him in her face; her eyes blinking rapidly and her brow creased in confusion. He also saw that familiar look in her eyes; the one where she wanted to ask a million questions but didn't quite know how to put it into words.

He took a few more tentative steps forward as she watched him move closer to where she stood.

Chloe could start to feel the heat rise in her cheeks with every step he took. It had only been a few days since she last saw him, but if felt as though it were a lifetime ago. She had successfully spent that time away from Metropolis driving the image of him down into the deep recesses of her mind; safely putting him and everyone else into one of her mental drawers that she had not opened since that night he came to her apartment.

(Flashback)

_Chloe felt herself slowly waking, the feeling of warmth all around her as if she were in a cocoon tucked away from the world. She was reluctant to open her eyes, fearing that if she did the warmth she was so desperate to hold on to would disappear. _

_Chloe slowly let one eye upon, then another. There in front of her she found Oliver's peacefully sleeping face mere inches from hers. She could feel the heat of his breath tickle her nose as his mouth hung slightly open. For a moment she closed her eyes once again, relishing the strength of his arms around her as she felt his chest rise and fall beneath her hand. _

_But just as quickly as she had closed her eyes, the same haunting image of her cold dead body came crashing back into her mind. She shut her eyes tighter trying to block it out, but there it was as gruesome and chilling as before. _

_And then she remembered. She remembered what had happened. She remembered what she had planned. She remembered what she had to do._

_Chloe opened her eyes once again, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks. She lifted herself out of Oliver's embrace as slowly as possible, not wanting to wake him up. As she tried to get up, she felt him shift and reach for her, pulling her back into the shelter of his arms. _

_Chloe swallowed hard and took a deep breath, silently praying for the strength to get up. She gently moved his arm as she slipped out from underneath. Oliver moved once again at the loss of her touch but still remained asleep. _

_She stared down at him as the tears continued to fall. She reached down and brushed a stray lock of his hair out of his eyes and let her hand linger on his cheek. _

"_I'm sorry" she whispered as she let her hand fall from his face and brought it up to her own mouth to quiet her sobs._

(Present Day)

Chloe shook herself back into the present. Oliver was standing a few feet away, his eyes trained on her face looking for any sign of what was going through her mind.

She cleared her throat and straightened up, trying to steel herself against the flutters she felt in the pit of her stomach.

"What are you doing here Oliver?" she asked trying desperately to keep any trace of emotion out of her voice.

Instead of answering her, he just stood there staring at her as though he didn't hear a single word she had spoken.

She tried again, "Oliver I asked you what you're doing here." Still she was met with no response.

Chloe could feel the tension in the room, crowding in around her as each second of silence ticked by. She couldn't stand the way he was staring at her; the way he seemed to see past her uncaring façade and into her mind and heart; where she was secretly screaming for someone to help her, to save her.

She couldn't take it anymore and realized she needed to get away from him; away from his knowing gaze, away from those eyes that seemed to be pleading with her to stay. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

As Chloe took a few steps forward brushing past him in the process, Oliver reached his hand out and gently grabbed her wrist.

Chloe stopped walking and closed her eyes, swallowing hard once again. She could feel his fingers tighten protectively around her, sending small shocks of electricity up and down her arm where he touched her.

"I came for you" he whispered softly.

Chloe felt his words penetrate right through her wall, straight to her chest where she felt his words pulling at heart.

"I came for you" he repeated tugging at her arm.

She resisted at first but Oliver persisted finally succeeding in getting Chloe to turn around and face him.

Chloe lifted her face to meet his gaze, her chin set determinedly; although Oliver could see the slight tremble in her lips as she looked up at him.

"You shouldn't have come Oliver" Chloe said narrowing her eyes at him, "You shouldn't be here."

He could see her resolve building itself back up again and knew he had to do something.

Oliver released his hold on her wrist and brought his hands up to cup her face.

"I'm exactly where I should be" he replied, his thumbs caressing her soft cheeks.

Chloe shook her head and closed her eyes, "You can't be here."

"Tell me Chloe. Make me understand" he urged her to explain.

"You don't understand. No one can" she said opening her eyes once again.

He stood silently watching her, his eyes willing her to go on.

"I can't take this anymore. I can't go on thinking everything is going to be okay, when I know it won't be."

Chloe brought her hands up to cover his trying to make him understand.

"I'm sick of it Oliver…all of it. I want my life back. I want to find that girl who used to smile at everything; who only cared about becoming a great reporter; who wanted to fall in love with some ordinary guy and have a houseful of kids."

"I want my innocence back Oliver" she said as she pulled his hands down from her face and took a step back.

"I know it's impossible. I can't unmake the past and I can't erase the memories of everything I've seen no matter how hard I try. Most of all I can't change where this is all going to inevitably end up…"

Oliver stood speechless as he finally realized what this whole thing had been about all along. Chloe truly believed she was going to die.

The thought hit Oliver like a smack in the face. Between everything that had been revealed with Lois's trip to the future, he hadn't considered the idea that Chloe's death was even a remote possibility. To him, it was only a glimpse of what "could be" and something he never imagined would actually come to pass. Chloe on the other hand had seemed to accept her fate, albeit unwillingly.

"Chloe you know that's not true" Oliver said closed the distance between them. "It's not going to turn out like that. You can't just give up."

"I'm not giving up Oliver. I'm moving on."

Oliver could feel his anger begin to boil up inside. He couldn't believe what Chloe was saying. He couldn't believe this woman who had, on more than one occasion, stood in the face of certain death and conquered it, could now accept her supposed fate with such defeat.

"I don't believe you" he muttered, "You don't give up, Chloe. I know you and this is not who you are."

"Things change" she replied simply. "I've changed Oliver. And there's no going back for me…not anymore."

A/N: Okay dear readers…tell me what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 8

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Chloe Sullivan was one stubborn woman. When she got hold of an idea in her head, it was very hard…scratch that…downright impossible to change her mind and convince her she was wrong.

"I've changed Oliver. And there's no going back for me…not anymore."

As Oliver stood there and listened to the words of defeat come from the woman that, not more than 24 hours ago, he had realized he was in love with, he couldn't help but smile to himself inside. She was stubborn, yes. She was formidable, most definitely. She was a fighter, no doubt.

And he was in love with her…for ALL those reasons and about a million more.

Even now, despite the emotional turmoil he had suffered through the last week and the overwhelming urge to take her by the shoulders and violently shake some sense into that blonde head of hers, his feelings of admiration and love for this woman came bubbling up to the surface. Without even realizing it, a tiny smirk had found its way to his lips.

"I don't see the humor in this situation Oliver" she said as she observed the change in his facial expression from one of anger to one of amusement.

Oliver simply continued to stare at her and instead of answering her, let his eyes wander over her face. He noticed the way her forehead scrunched up when she was confused; how her nostrils would flare slightly when she was annoyed; or how she would chew on her bottom lip when she was, at very rare moments, at a loss for words. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Oliver could still appreciate all the small and beautiful details about the woman standing before him.

"Oliver, are you even listening to me?" Chloe asked, the anger in her voice rising at the thought that he was amused by her.

"Yes Chloe…I'm listening to you" Oliver finally answered, the wheels in his head beginning to turn, "and I think you're full of shit" he spat out.

Chloe was rendered speechless once again and felt her body literally recoil from his harsh words.

Oliver took in a deep breath, knowing he was treading on very dangerous ground. But if there was one thing he had learned about Chloe these last few years, it was that she could never back down from a good fight, especially a war of words. And maybe if he could get her to express some kind of emotion, even anger, then he had chance of breaking through that wall of apathy she was getting so good at building up.

"What did you say to me?" Chloe said, almost in disbelief, her voice going up an octave.

"I said you're full of shit" he repeated, "and I don't buy this moving on crap anymore than you've deluded yourself into thinking you do."

"Oh really?" she said crossing her arms, her mind already mentally preparing itself for a fight.

"Yeah…" Oliver bit back, taking a step forward in the process.

"And what makes you think you have even the slightest clue what I'm thinking Mr. Queen?" she said matching him step for step, not backing down.

"Because whether you want to admit it or not Chloe, I know you…"

"Enlighten me" Chloe snorted, rolling her eyes at his supposed arrogance.

"I know that you are annoyingly stubborn" Oliver began taking another confident step towards her.

"I know that you are relentless" he continued on, inching even closer.

"I know that, right or wrong, you will go down fighting for what you believe in…"

Oliver found himself standing toe to toe with the petite blonde, towering over her much smaller frame.

"You, Chloe Sullivan, are not a quitter... you're a coward."

Hearing the words fall from his mouth, Chloe's eyes went wide and before she knew what she was doing, she felt her hand rise up and connect solidly with Oliver's face.

The harsh sound of a slap echoed through the small room as they both stood there silent.

Chloe could feel the anger coursing through her body, her mind not even registering the stinging sensation in her palm.

"How dare you…" she whispered fiercely, her eyes hardening at him.

Oliver felt the burn in his cheek where Chloe had hit him, but he refused to look away. He was determined to stand his ground.

"How can YOU of all people call ME a coward?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing in anger, her heart beginning to beat faster as the adrenaline began to course through her veins.

"I may not have alien superpowers or soar over rooftops in green tights but I'll be damned if I let you stand there and call me a coward!" Chloe growled balling her hands into fists.

"I have on more than one occasion saved your band of merry men from near death! I've taken on Lex Luthor, the devil himself, and stood my ground! And I can't even COUNT how many times I've rescued that dimwitted farm boy also known as Clark!!!"

Chloe's eyes were wild and her face was flushed with the heat of her hatred for the man standing before her. How could he say such a thing to her? After EVERYTHING she had done and sacrificed and lost…he had the audacity to dismiss everything her life had come to mean with one simple sentence.

"And lest we forgot how I saved you from ending up drunk and dead in a gutter because YOU couldn't handle the pressures of being a fucking hero!" she bellowed.

Chloe's body was trembling with so much emotion. Having voiced everything her mind had been so eager to forget the past few days; the angry thoughts and feelings she had tried so hard to suppress had torn through the surface and now she was left feeling so raw and exposed. But beneath her contempt, she also felt the heart ache. She couldn't believe that of all the people in her life that Oliver would believe her to be a coward.

Both Chloe and Oliver stood there unmoving as they let the words settle around them like ashes falling from a fire. His words had cut her deep and hers did the same to him. The tension in the room was suffocating but neither of them showed any sign of retreating.

Oliver was struck silent by Chloe's words. He had wanted an emotional response, and Chloe had certainly delivered. He could see the rage in her eyes, but beneath that he could also see her agony. He could see the scars of her sacrifices…for Clark and Lois, for Jimmy, and for him. How she had spent her life working and doing for others and how at the end of the day that had left her with very little to build a happy life for herself…and his heart broke.

"Chloe, I…" Oliver began to speak but he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

"I'm back!" Martha Kent called out.

Oliver was the first to break eye contact as his gaze briefly turned toward the foyer watching Mrs. Kent walk in with a couple bags of groceries. He quickly turned back to Chloe who was now staring past his shoulder and looking out the big picture window, her expression unreadable.

Oliver leaned down bringing his lips close to her ear, "We're not finished."

…

After another satisfying home cooked meal, Oliver, Chloe and Mrs. Kent sat around the kitchen table in a rather uncomfortable silence. The conversation during dinner had been all smiles and social etiquette, but there was no mistaking the hostility in the air.

Martha could see the daggers Chloe was throwing at Oliver with her eyes over the dinner table and despite her best attempts to lighten the mood, she realized that there was way more going on beneath the surface between these two than just the little tiff she had walked in on before.

"So Chloe, what did the editor at The Washington Post have to say?" Martha queried trying to break the silence.

"Oh, uh it was great Mrs. Kent. I pulled up a couple of my articles from The Torch and The Daily Planet off the web for him to read and he said he was intrigued so…" Chloe replied finding her first smile since her fight with Oliver earlier.

"That's great Chloe!" Martha beamed as she got up and gave Chloe a hug.

"Thanks Mrs. Kent. I'm actually pretty excited to see if anything comes of it. I know it's a long shot, but the thought of working for The Washington Post and moving to D.C. is…" Chloe stopped herself mid-sentence as she realized what she was saying.

Chloe looked over at Oliver who was staring hard at the table, his eyes unblinking and his fingers fiercely twisting the napkin in his hand as he listened to her speak so casually about leaving him and her entire life in Metropolis behind.

"I mean, like I said, it's a long shot" Chloe finished as she reached for her glass of water to soothe her now very parched throat.

Silence had found the trio once again. So Martha had begun to clear the table in an attempt to escape the awkwardness.

Although Oliver was upset, he quickly found his manners as he reached for the plate in Martha's hand.

"Let me help you out Mrs. Kent. You cooked an amazing meal. The least I can do is clear the table" he offered.

"Thank you Oliver. I must admit I've missed cooking for my family and it was nice to cook for the two of you" she replied handing over the plate. "So how long are you planning on staying in Washington Oliver?"

"As long as I need to" Oliver said as he reached in front of Chloe to clear her plate, letting his gaze settle on her.

Chloe made a point to find something very interesting about her fingernails at the moment as she avoided making eye contact with him and instead focused on her hands.

"Well you're more than welcome to stay here if you'd like. I've got tons of extra space and it seems a waste to make you go to a hotel" Martha replied.

At that Chloe quickly stood up almost knocking her chair down in the process; all eyes turning to her.

"I'm, uh…a bit tired Mrs. Kent. I think I'll call it a night" Chloe muttered as she made her way to the stairs.

Oliver knew better as he watched her retreating form. He knew she was looking for an easy way of getting out of continuing their earlier conversation, especially now that Martha had invited him to stay.

"Alright Chloe" Martha replied already busying herself loading the dish washer, "good night."

Before Chloe had a chance to escape up the stairs, she felt a warm hand cover hers as she reached for the banister of the stair case. She slowly turned around to find Oliver looking up at her from the bottom step. His eyes seemed to be echoing his earlier words…_we're not finished_.

Chloe silently shook her head as she drew her hand out from under his and continued upstairs.

…

Chloe looked at the bright red letters of the alarm clock, as it read 1:15am. She had tried and failed several times over the last 3 hours to fall asleep. She wasn't lying when she said she was tired. The fight with Oliver had taken its physical and emotional toll on her and her head was pounding with a headache as a result.

Try as she might to block it out, the word "_coward" _kept floating in and out of her mind, almost seeking to mock her.

Was Oliver right? Was she being a coward by leaving Metropolis behind? Was she fooling herself thinking she could live a "normal" life? And what was a normal life anyway?

The questions kept flying around bouncing off her brain like a ball in a game of ping pong. It wasn't just the fact that Oliver had called her coward. It was the fact that he had basically said everything she had subconsciously been saying to herself the last few days. And it unnerved her.

One thing was clear…she was not getting to sleep anytime soon.

Throwing off her covers, she slipped her sneakers on and grabbed her coat as she made her way up to Mrs. Kent's rooftop patio.

Chloe stepped lightly up the stairs and opened the door quietly not wanting to wake anyone up. It was colder than she expected as she drew her coat tighter around her neck, settling down in one of the iron patio chairs.

She looked up at the ink black sky, the stars twinkling like tiny Christmas lights. As she closed her eyes she could hear the sound of traffic from the city and a dog barking somewhere in the distance. It reminded her of the late nights she used to spend in the Watchtower, after everyone had gone to bed. Chloe would always stay up late doing research, but every so often she'd take a break and just stand by the window taking in the late night sounds of Metropolis. She had always enjoyed being a night owl. There was a certain peace and stillness that came with the solitude of late nights.

Chloe brought her hands up to her mouth and blew into them, trying to warm them up. She let her hands settle on her face as she gently massaged at her temples, her headache a little less severe now.

"And I thought I had the exclusive on rooftop escapes" a familiar voice said from behind her.

She turned around to find Oliver standing in the doorway.

"I said we weren't finished."

A/N: So dear readers, any thoughts?


	9. Chapter 9 Final Chapter

Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 9

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

"I said we weren't finished."

Oliver pushed open the door of the rooftop patio, his eyes zeroing in on the blonde staring back at him.

Chloe heaved a frustrated sigh, her own eyes pleading with him to leave her alone. In response Oliver let the door shut behind him, making it clear that he wasn't going anywhere until they had this out.

Chloe turned back around, letting her head drop in her hands. She could feel the edges of her headache pulling behind her eyes, threatening to come back in full force.

"Oliver I don't have the energy to do this right now…please just leave it alone."

Chloe shut her eyes again, expecting him to respond with a resounding "hell no!" But instead she was met with nothing; the silence filling the empty space around them. She stared out into the dark night sky trying to wish the whole damn situation away; trying to wish HIM away.

Oliver was complicating things, crossing boundaries and blurring the line between where she wanted to be and where she needed to be. She needed to be alone. She needed to get away from Clark, the League and all the madness that came along with it. But in her heart she knew what she wanted…she wanted to be with him.

Walking into Martha's townhouse this afternoon and seeing him standing there had opened up something inside her. Until that moment she hadn't realized how Oliver Queen had become so much a part of her life; how much she depended on him; how much she needed him. In the midst of her crisis of faith, she had conveniently tucked her feelings for him deep down, content to dismiss the ache in her heart over his absence as if it didn't mean anything.

But looking into his eyes, seeing the anger and the hurt she had caused him by leaving Metropolis, she couldn't hide from her feelings anymore. Maybe she had denied her feelings all along, knowing that for people like her and Oliver, love was a liability; something to be feared and avoided at all costs. She had certainly had her fair share of heart break with Clark, Jimmy and Davis to know that. And maybe her friendship with Oliver was too precious and something she was unwilling to risk, for what…love?

Love had kicked her in the ass time and time again. Love had left her literally scarred and broken. Love had left her alone. And for her to lose the one person she could rely on, the one person who would never leave her…it just wasn't worth it.

Oliver stood by the door, unsure of what to do as he stared at Chloe's unmoving form.

He had found sleep impossible as he lay in bed in Martha's guest room. He had stopped himself several times from getting up and charging into Chloe's room, demanding that she end the charade of her attempt at a so-called normal life and come back to Metropolis with him. But every time he found himself reaching for the door, the memory of her face flashed in his mind. He saw the fear. He saw the pain. He saw the regret in her eyes over the life that she never had and would never have.

Was he being selfish in coming here? Would she be better off being left alone not having to deal with the craziness of his world? Didn't she of all people deserve some semblance of a normal, happy existence, however long it would last?

Oliver went back and forth, one minute convincing himself that he should leave, and the next minute quickly arguing that any kind of life without Chloe in it wouldn't be much of a life at all. So when he heard the sound of her door opening and the gentle pad of footsteps up to the roof, he had followed her, intent on settling things once and for all.

Oliver took in a deep breath, trying to give himself the strength and courage to face her.

The gravel crunched under his feet as he slowly made his way over to her, each step seemingly harder to take than the one previous. Oliver finally found himself standing in front of the young woman who had come to mean so much to him and who had thoroughly changed his life in the short time he had known her.

Oliver looked down at her. She looked so small and so fragile, as if the slightest gust of wind could shatter her into a million pieces. His heart seemed to tighten in his chest at the sight of her.

"Chloe, I…" he found it difficult to speak, as a lump quickly began to form in his throat.

"Don't Oliver…just don't" Chloe interrupted as she shook her head, her eyes still closed refusing to face him.

Oliver kneeled down in front of her. He reached out and gently wrenched her hands away from her face. He wrapped his own hands around hers and slowly guided them down, placing them flat against his chest.

Chloe screwed her eyes shut even tighter trying to ignore the shivers threatening to shoot down her spine as she felt the beat of his heart thrum strong and steady beneath her hands.

"You're not supposed to be here. You can't be here Oliver. I left for a reason and no matter what you think you can't change anything anymore than I can. I've finally accepted things for what they are. And I don't…" she hesitated unsure of whether to continue. But she realized he had hear it.

"I don't need to add you or anyone else to the list of people I leave behind" she admitted truthfully.

She tried desperately to pull away, but Oliver's strong grasp held them firmly in place.

"Chloe I won't pretend to know what you're going through. And I would never presume to tell you how to live your life. God knows I'm no shining example of how a person should be" he chuckled slightly at his own self mocking.

"I can only tell you what I know. I know that you are an amazing person. I know that you give and give without a thought to what you will ever get back. I know that you of all people deserve to be happy. But I also know that life is cruel and sometimes unbending and it fucking hurts you in places you didn't even know existed. My own personal field trip into hell is a testament to that."

He swallowed hard as the memories of that dark and painful time in his life came flooding back to him.

"But I also know that for as many times as life seemingly knocks you on your ass, it can also give you the strength to get back up again and keep moving…or at least bless you with people who believe in you enough so that you can."

At his words, Chloe opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to meet his, unable to keep the tears from sliding down her cheeks.

"You believed in me Chloe. You fought for me. You saved me in every way a person could be saved and gave me back the one thing I had thought was lost forever…"

Chloe couldn't stop her tears now even if she wanted to. His words, so honest and so vulnerable left her mind reeling and almost made her question whether this was all just a dream and at any moment reality would come crashing down on her and she would wake up alone in her bed.

"You gave me hope Chloe. You gave me hope that all things just and right in this world would prevail; that the cruel and evil things that we face in life are meant to make us stronger and teach us that there ARE things worth fighting for."

Oliver finally let go of her hands and brought his own hands up to cup her cheeks, his thumbs swiping away the never-ending stream of tears.

"And I'll be damned if I let you go without a fight" he whispered fiercely as he brought his face down, his lips hovering just above hers.

Oliver let his eyes slide shut aching to close the gap that separated their lips. But he didn't. He knew she had to meet him half way; that she had to believe in him and take the leap of faith knowing that he would be there on the other side to catch her.

He could feel her body humming with electricity beneath his as she let out a series of shaky breaths that seemed to mingle with his own. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity as he waited for something to happen.

It was her move.

Chloe watched him now, his eyes closed and his lips trembling from a mixture of anticipation and fear. Her heart was pounding furiously and her head was buzzing away at the raw honesty of his words, his heart laid out for her to see, leaving her nowhere to hide.

She wanted so badly to just give in, lose herself in the sea of his comforting words, let go of all the pain that weighed down on her like an anchor around her neck. Her salvation seemed just within her grasp. All she needed to do was lean in and let go.

Chloe closed her eyes and a scene flashed before her.

She saw herself standing on the ledge of the Watchtower's roof. Below her loomed the dark streets of a destroyed Metropolis, her dead body lying broken on the ground. She turned around to see a familiar figure clad in green leather watching her and waiting. She looked back and forth between him and the street below her, not sure whether to step down towards him or jump off. In her heart one option terrified her just as much as the other one. She felt her knees go weak beneath her as she stumbled almost losing her balance as she looked back at him, his eyes never leaving hers. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, feeling the air around her disappear.

"I love you" she heard a voice whisper gently in her ear.

Chloe opened her eyes finding herself in the here and now and saw the face of the man before her; the man who would never leave, who would fight for her, who believed in her…who would love her no matter what.

And suddenly she realized it was enough. She could face whatever the future brought forth, whatever fear and uncertainty it held. And that her life, no matter how long it would turn out to be, and her heart were worth the risk.

"I love you too" she echoed as she leaned in and finally let go.

A/N: Dear readers you've been awesome in your support and reviews and I hope I didn't let you down. Please comment away and help me pass the time till the new episodes (and hopefully uber Chlollie-ness) return in a few weeks.


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